Two-turn window lift



May 22, 1928. 1,670,904

' J. u. ROETHEL TWO-TURN WINDOW LIFT Filed Nov. 28, 1925 INVENTOR JHRoeZIzel sv im ATTORNEY Patented May 22, 1928.

1,670,904 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. ROETHEL, OF BR OOKLYN,'NEW

TWO-TURN WINDOW LIFT.

Application filed November 28, 1925. Serial No. 71,905.

The main object of this invention is to provide a window lifting mechanism particularly adapted for use in doors of vehicles or railway carriages. The invention consists of an arm which engages the bottom of a sliding window pane and thru rotation of the arm, the window is lifted or lowered and may be stopped and locked in any position intermediate between the fully closed and fully opened position. The mechanism illustrated herein introduces a novel feature bycompensating for the weight of the window, that is, if a window weighs eight pounds, a spring housed within the mechanism is tautened or wound until it exerts a counteracting force of eight pounds upon the arm rotating mechanism. In this manner, the strain of holding-the weight of the window is released from the remainder of the mechanism, and in addition, the means for operating the lifting and lowering mechanism may be more readily and simply actuated.

The above and other objects will become apparent in the description below, in whichcharacters of reference refer to like-named parts in the drawing.

Referring in detail to the drawing, Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a vehicle door, showing the window in partly opened position and the apparatus in its applied position.

Figure 2 is a' side elevational view of the upper end of the lifter arm.

Figure 3 is a side elevational View of the window lifting mechanism.

Figure 4 is a partially sectioned front elevational view of the window lifting mechanism. 1

Figure 5 is a top plan view of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the operating spindle brake.

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional side elevational view of the brake.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates the side bars of a door frame. This door frame is a skeleton construction at its upper end presenting a relatively large square opening 11 which is surrounded on three sides by a grooved channel 12 in which channel the edges of a transparent or other window pane 13 is slida'ble.

The lower half of the door frame is covered by facings 14, one of which is surmounted at the top by a sill 15, and beneath this sill,

the face plate 16 of the device is secured by screws 17. The face upon which the plate 16 is mounted is provided with a recess into which the casing 18 of the window lifting mechanism is inserted and retained. The bottom 19 of the casing serves as a support for a flanged stud 20, the flange of which is seated on .the exterior face of the bottom while the stud projects inwardly and rotates in an opening in the bottom. The flange 21 of the stud is provided with a channel in which one end of a window lifting arm 22 is secured by a screw 23. The upper end of the arm 22 extends to a position above the casing and has mounted on one of its sides a rotatable channeled roller 24. The channel of the roller receives the lower edge 25 1 of the window pane 13 and serves as a guide so that both members are at all times interengaged. A relatively large spur gear 26 is rigidly mounted upon the stud 20 within the casing enclosure 27, the purpose for which and its relation to other parts will be more fully hereinafter described. The flange 28 of a stud 29, which latter is rotatably mounted in the face plate 16 of the cas ing, is provided with a slit in which one end of a flat spiral spring 30 is secured. Windings of this spiral spring are sufficient in number to counterbalance the lowering of a window between two given predetermined weights. The opposite end of the spring, after being wrapt spirally around the flange 28, is looped at 31 upon a pin 32, the latter being fixed rigidly upon the spur gear 26. The stud 29 projects from the flange outwardly thru an opening in the face plate 16, and on the projecting end exterior of the face plate, a ratchet wheel 33 is fixed. This ratchet wheel cooperates with a pawl 34 which is pivoted on a pin 35. The projecting end of the stud is square in cross section and on this square end, the ratchet wheel 33 is mounted so that the stud, flange, and ratchet wheel rotate as one. In the face of the ratchet wheel, a square recess is formed so that a key may be inserted when it is desired to adjust the tension of the spiral spring. by rotating the ratchet wheel in either direction according as the spiral spring is to be tensed or relaxed.

Thecasing 18 is elongated iii shape and extends angularly upward and in the upper end of the casing, the spindle 37, square in cross section, is. rotatably mounted. The

spindle is square thruout its entire length a the face plate 16 of the casing. To the v the interior surface of the drum 46 when it t s iral has a outer end of the spindle 37, a dial 38 is secured. This dial is surmounted by a fluted knob 39 by which the entire mechanism is manipulated. Mounted on the spindle 37 is a ,disk 40 which is provided with an annular encircling channel 41, and at one position, cut-out portion 42 is formed. Within the channel 41 of this disk, a fiat resilient blade 43 is housed, the blade extending in a circu aridirection and serving as a brake band. The ends 44 of the brake band are turned downwardly into the cut-out portion 42 and have a space provided between them for the insertion of a mover lug 45. The entire disk is encircled by a sleeve 46 which forms part of the face plate 16 and fits around said disk very snugly so that the least movement or distortion of one of the ends 44 of the brake band 43 will cause this deflected'end to come into engagement with is desired to brake the'speed of rotation of the spindle 37. A short length of shaft 46 is mounted in the bottom of the casing 18 within the enclosure 19. The shaft 47 and the spindle 37 are aligned with each other, and on the shaft, a pinion gear 48 is mounted to the face of which member 45, previously described, is fixed. The pinion gear 48 and spur gear 26 rotate in opposite direcions by being engaged with an intermediate idler gear 49 which is mounted on a pivot stud 50.

The device illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 is used to slidably lift a window to any of various ositions in which it would be considered fully closed or either partly opened. The window slides upwardly in the side frame 12 of the door and is sup orted upon the arm 28 of the device, Said arm has a grooved roller 24 at its outer or engaging end in which grooves the lower edge 25 of the window pane 13 fits. The arm 22 is su ported upon the flange 21 of the rotatab e.

stud 20, which having a gear 26 thereon, is rotated by an intermediate idler gear 49 which in turn is rotat-ably actuated by a pinion gear 48. The pinion gear 48 is en aged by a braking disk mounted on a spind e 37. The spindle on, the dial being surmounted by a fluted knob 39, is rotated to transmit rotation to the pinion gear 48, intermediate gear 49, and large spur (gear 26, which having the arm 22 connecte thereto, swings the latter. To compensate for the various weights on window panes which may be used on a door, according-to the area the window pane must cover the spiral spring 51 is provided. This spring has its outer end connected to t e s ur gear 26 and its opposite end is secured to a floating flanged member 29 which ratchet wheel 33 fixedthereto. By

37 has a dial 38 mounted thereinserting a key in the square opening of the stud 29, the ratchet wheel ma be. rotated one ora number of teeth in eit ier direction after the pawl 34 has been disengaged in order to tense or relax the lifting strength exerted by the spring upon the arm 28. To prevent aspiral spring 51from rotating the arm 22 upwardly, some type of brake mechanism is madenecessary. The brake illustrated herein functions in the following manner. It is mounted on a spindle 37 and takes the form of a channelled disk 40 in which a cut-out portion- 42 is provided. The brake band 43 retained in the channel 41 of the disk 40 is split and has its ends turned of contact with the surface of the groove 43 in which the brake band is retained. This end of the brake band spreads outwardly until it comes in contact with the inner surface of the drum 46, and by creating friction, stops any further rotation ofthe gears and upwardly swing of the arm 22, thus effectively braking the device. The same function may be applied to movements in an opposite direction, but manual pull on the knob will overcome frictional contact be tween the end of the brake band and the drum.

I claim In combination with a vertically slidable window, means for lifting. the same comprising a casing, a face plate covering said casing, a spur gear and an arm rigid with said spur gear in said casing, said arm engaging the lower edge of the window, counter-balancing means on said s ur gear adapted to compensate for the we] ht of the window comprising a spiral spring having one end fixe on the gear and the opposite end fixed to a normally rigid member, means on said normally rigid member for varying the tension of said sprin comprising a ratchet, a flanged stud rigid y mounted externally of the casing with said ratchet rotatable in the face plate of said device, a pawl cooperating with said ratchet, and a square socket formed axially in said ratchet, said ratchet and pawl being mounted exterior of the device for rotating the same to adjust the counter-balancing tension of said spring.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN H. ROETHEL. 

